Britain drawn in as Greenland, Denmark reject Trump’s territorial ambitions

Greenland has urged the United Kingdom to take a principled stand and help resist mounting pressure from US President Donald Trump, who has renewed threats to take control of the Arctic territory, including by force.

Speaking after briefing British lawmakers in London on January 13, Greenland’s Minister for Business and Energy, Naaja Nathanielsen, said the UK should insist on dialogue, uphold international law, and defend the relevance of NATO, even when global problems are complex and politically difficult. She argued that disputes should be resolved through dialogue rather than coercion or violence, Caliber.Az quotes her speech per foreign media. 

Nathanielsen’s visit comes as the White House intensifies its rhetoric over Greenland, a mineral-rich, semi-autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark. Trump has claimed the island is vital for US national security against Russia and China and has said Washington would acquire it either “the easy way” or “the hard way.”

The Greenlandic minister said her government feels betrayed by the US stance, describing the rhetoric as offensive and bewildering, particularly given that Greenland has long supported the idea that it forms part of America’s strategic interests.

Her appeal in London followed warnings from Denmark that any US aggression toward Greenland would severely damage the NATO alliance. Both the Danish and Greenlandic governments have repeatedly stated that the territory is not for sale.

Nathanielsen said her message to British politicians and Prime Minister Keir Starmer was that they should persist with dialogue, defend principles, and maintain faith in international law, warning that such issues would define global politics in the coming years.

She expressed gratitude for Starmer’s public support for Greenland and said the UK should press the international community to uphold legal norms and stress NATO’s continued importance.

Starmer has previously said Greenland’s future must be decided by Denmark and Greenland alone, a position echoed by Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, who has told Washington it has no claim to the Arctic territory.

However, the British government is also seeking to avoid confrontations with Trump at a time when it is trying to secure a favourable US trade deal and influence Washington’s approach to potential peace talks between Russia and Ukraine.

While Trump argues that control of Greenland is essential to US security, Nordic governments have rejected claims that Chinese or Russian vessels pose a serious threat in nearby waters. Nathanielsen said Greenland does not detect any immediate threat, though it is comfortable with increased monitoring in the Arctic.

She stressed that Greenland has no intention of becoming American and remains satisfied with its status within the Kingdom of Denmark.

Nathanielsen declined to speculate on whether Greenland would expect military backing from NATO allies, including the UK, in the event of a US invasion. She said that such a scenario would force countries to confront what a new world order would look like, adding that in such circumstances, all allied nations would effectively be under attack.

By Sabina Mammadli